NASA’s James Webb telescope reveals the bright heart of spiral galaxy Messier 77
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured the active galactic nucleus of Messier 77, revealing an ultra-bright core powered by an 8-million-solar-mass black hole and a starburst ring fueled by gas and dust. The telescope’s near-infrared and mid-infrared instruments also exposed hidden structures, including a central bar and outer hydrogen filaments earning the galaxy the nickname 'Squid Galaxy.'
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled the energetic heart of the spiral galaxy Messier 77, exposing an active galactic nucleus (AGN) dominated by a supermassive black hole estimated at eight million times the Sun’s mass. The black hole’s gravity pulls surrounding gas into high-speed orbits, generating extreme radiation that outshines the rest of the galaxy. Webb’s observations also revealed diffraction spikes—optical artifacts from the telescope’s mirror—highlighting the AGN’s intense brightness. Beyond the core, the galaxy features a prominent bar structure and a starburst ring where spiral arms converge, driving rapid star formation. Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) detected cooler dust glowing at longer wavelengths, revealing intricate filaments and cavities shaped by stellar activity. The galaxy’s outer regions extend into a faint hydrogen gas ring and delicate, tentacle-like streams, earning it the nickname 'Squid Galaxy.' The image stems from observing program #3707, which surveys nearby star-forming galaxies to build a comprehensive dataset for scientific analysis. Messier 77’s disc, rich in gas and dust, fuels ongoing star formation while the AGN’s radiation carves through surrounding material. These findings provide new insights into the interplay between black holes and galactic evolution.
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